Yellow Monkey Brewing Releases SHIBIRE, a Japanese Spice Ale with Wakayama Sansho Pepper
Yokohama-based Yellow Monkey Brewing released SHIBIRE, a Japanese Spice Ale made with Wakayama-grown budo sansho pepper, on September 5. The beer combines sansho’s distinctive aroma and tingling sensation with subtle sweetness and a lingering finish.
Hop BroYellow Monkey Brewing in Yokohama has released a new beer, “SHIBIRE”, made with Wakayama grape sansho pepper!
MugiHuh, a sansho-pepper beer!? My tongue is tingling just from the name—so what does it taste like?
Hop BroIts style is Japanese Spice Ale. It is designed around sansho’s bright aroma and, just as the name promises, its numbing tingle.
MugiJapanese Spice Ale... what is that!? Doesn’t adding spices turn it into a super-hot beer?
Hop BroThat is SHIBIRE’s point: it is not only about stimulation. After the aroma and tingle, you get a subtle sweetness.
MugiSweetness after numbness!? My mouth is on a roller coaster! Still, I’m really curious now.
Hop BroThink of how water or beer can taste slightly sweet after spicy, sansho-heavy mapo tofu. It is a contrast effect in your taste perception.
MugiA contrast effect!? Big words alert! So my tongue gets startled by sansho and then discovers the sweetness?
Hop BroExactly! It is already pouring in the taproom, and cans went on sale September 12. Start with the aroma, then savor the lingering finish.
MugiIt sounds perfect for sansho fans and spice-beer newcomers alike. I suddenly want to toast with SHIBIRE right now!
Aroma, tingling heat, and a touch of sweetness
Yellow Monkey Brewing in Yokohama has released SHIBIRE, a new Japanese Spice Ale brewed with budo sansho pepper from Wakayama Prefecture. Launched on September 5, the beer is designed to deliver the characteristic tingling sensation associated with sansho.
According to the brewery, SHIBIRE is not simply a beer focused on heat or intensity. Alongside the pepper’s aroma and numbing sensation, drinkers may find a faint sweetness and lingering finish. Yellow Monkey Brewing compares the experience to drinking water or beer after eating richly seasoned mapo tofu, when the drink can seem subtly sweeter than expected.
The beer should appeal to sansho fans, while also offering an approachable entry point for drinkers who have previously assumed spice-forward beers were not for them. Its appeal lies in the progression from aroma to tingling spice, followed by sweetness and length on the palate.
Available at the taproom, with cans released September 12
SHIBIRE is being served at Yellow Monkey Brewing’s taproom. The brewery has also begun wholesale sales in 10-liter one-way kegs for restaurants and other businesses. Canned beer went on sale September 12.
Yellow Monkey Brewing is based in Yokohama and aims to connect people and spread smiles through beer and sports. The brewery describes its space as a community hub: a place where visitors can enjoy beer, see the brewing operation, and talk casually with brewers and staff.
With its clear sansho character and playful concept, SHIBIRE reflects Yellow Monkey Brewing’s commitment to freedom and experimentation. For the best impression, take time to notice the aroma first, then follow the tingling sensation through to the subtle sweetness and finish.
Information may be inaccurate. Please refer to the brewery’s official channels for the latest details.
Hop BroYellow Monkey Brewing in Yokohama has released a new beer, “SHIBIRE”, made with Wakayama grape sansho pepper!
MugiHuh, a sansho-pepper beer!? My tongue is tingling just from the name—so what does it taste like?
Hop BroIts style is Japanese Spice Ale. It is designed around sansho’s bright aroma and, just as the name promises, its numbing tingle.
MugiJapanese Spice Ale... what is that!? Doesn’t adding spices turn it into a super-hot beer?
Hop BroThat is SHIBIRE’s point: it is not only about stimulation. After the aroma and tingle, you get a subtle sweetness.
MugiSweetness after numbness!? My mouth is on a roller coaster! Still, I’m really curious now.
Hop BroThink of how water or beer can taste slightly sweet after spicy, sansho-heavy mapo tofu. It is a contrast effect in your taste perception.
MugiA contrast effect!? Big words alert! So my tongue gets startled by sansho and then discovers the sweetness?
Hop BroExactly! It is already pouring in the taproom, and cans went on sale September 12. Start with the aroma, then savor the lingering finish.
MugiIt sounds perfect for sansho fans and spice-beer newcomers alike. I suddenly want to toast with SHIBIRE right now!
